Same kind of pandemic, totally different reaction

We don't know the final outcome of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the total number of cases, the actual death toll. But we have seen similar outbreaks in modern time, maybe not as modern as the times we live in today.

In the late 1950s and then again in the late 1960s flu outbreaks hit the world and the US with pretty serious results.They both came out of Asia, they both killed millions worldwide and more than 100,000 here in the US. The one result they didn't have was a government takeover of the economy and normal life. Was it the fact that we had much less media, much less instant communication or much more common sense?

If you ask anyone born after 1990, they'll tell you we're so much more aware and smarter now because we have the internet and instant information and communication. But maybe that's why we're in the situation we're in. Too much information, not all of it reliable, and too many people scared to death. In just about every endeavor in our modern world, when it comes to instruction, the standard is "safety first."

Safety first has become our mantra in almost everything we do. If that were the case when this country was formed we'd still be a British Colony. Safety first would not have won WWII and liberated Europe. Safety first would not have landed us on the moon or discovered many of the things we enjoy in our world today. No, safety first is what has killed our economy and much of the American spirit that used to drive this country. What we need to re-learn and to teach our children is, "freedom first." The rest will sort itself out as it's supposed to.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.